The game console has evolved beyond being simply a special purposed computer on which to play games. A game console may act as a media hub in the living room, allowing access to music, TV, videos, and movies from mass storage devices, other computers on a home LAN, or media sources over the Internet. The game console may also provide a portal to information, social networking, and commerce through a connection to the Internet. These features and services may be made available to a user of the game console through interfaces built into the console's operating system and available upon initial startup.
However, traditionally once a game is loaded, the game program takes control of the game console, and the media features and online services may not be available to the user during gameplay. Even if these features and services are available during gameplay through an interface provided by the game console or game program, the user will often be required to pause or exit an ongoing game, or turn attention away from the game controls in order to interact with the provided interface. Many of the most popular games available for these game consoles offer fast-paced action and require all fingers on the controls and constant attention to avoid defeat or virtual death. Consequently, the media features and online services of many game consoles often go unutilized during gameplay.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.